Reggie - "Used games aren't in the customer interest"

N

Nephlabobo

CAGiversary!
Man, Reggie is full.of.shit.

Nintendo: Used games aren't in the consumers best interests

Nintendo of America's Reggie Fils-Aime has said the company does not believe second hand game sales are in the best interest of consumers.

He said that consumers prefer brand new products, and claimed that sales of second hand goods in other entertainment mediums has not been successful.

"We don’t believe used games are in the best interest of the consumer" Fils-Aime told Venture Beat.

"We have products that consumers want to hold onto. They want to play all of the levels of a Zelda game and unlock all of the levels. A game like Personal Trainer Cooking has a long life."

He continued: "Describe another form of entertainment that has a vibrant used goods market. Used books have never taken off. You don’t see businesses selling used music CDs or used DVDs. Why? The consumer likes having a brand-new experience and reliving it over and over again. If you create the right type of experience, that also happens in videogames."

Fils-Aime suggested that some retailers can't make the second hand business model work, despite trying to copy competitors who have made it successful.

"We just think it’s a bad idea," he insisted. "The one retailer that has a substantial business in this has figured out a way that is effective for the consumer.

"That’s tough for other retailers experimenting with this, in part because their employees don’t have the expertise in this market."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/nintendo-used-games-arent-in-the-consumers-best-interests
 
I don't know what Reggie is talking about, I go to stores with used books, DVDs and music often. In fact I was just at Half Priced Books last week.

Though it's possible Reggie is referring to businesses like Best Buy not selling used DVDs while Gamestop primarily sells used games. The main problem is the retailer's margin on games are way too low for stores to only sell new games unless they're a big box retailer, where they have other high profit items. Nintendo and other game publishers are the problem there, Gamestop couldn't survive without used game sales.
 
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Remember when people were saying Reggie was all badass and acting like he was the coolest person ever?

Yeah...not really related to the OP, just thought I'd bring it up.
 
"We have products that consumers want to hold onto. They want to play all of the levels of a Zelda game and unlock all of the levels. A game like Personal Trainer Cooking has a long life."

This quote...um...is it me, or does it sound like he's describing DS games and not Wii games? Or some other sort of media that aren't discs? Or has he simply never heard of memory cards?
 
[quote name='whoknows']Remember when people were saying Reggie was all badass and acting like he was the coolest person ever?

Yeah...not really related to the OP, just thought I'd bring it up.[/quote]

He was a lot cooler when he was the head of PR.
 
USED BOOKS NEVER HAVE TAKEN OFF?????

lawd....I think he just proved he has never been to college!
 
[quote name='Strell']Hmmmm. I thought we all generally hated Gamestop around here?[/QUOTE]

Hating GS =/= hating the idea of used games.

Besides, isn't one of the most cited reasons for hating GS their treatment and abuse of "new" games?
 
It's definitely up there, and it might be the #1 reason. Don't know of any other reasons except stupid employees in some cases which cause stupid rumors.
 
There's definitely "my used game looks like it was shot out of a cannon into a mountain of speeding saw blades, and it's $5 cheaper for this crappy-condition disc-only copy" kinds of complaints.

But those are the people who make the mistake of not checking out their stuff in-store, or buy online.

Reggie's usually kind of confident, so I find it strange he comes off like a naive, defensive dickbag here.

He says, for instance "The consumer likes having a brand-new experience and reliving it over and over again. If you create the right type of experience, that also happens in videogames."

Okay. Well, those people simply aren't going to buy used games in the first place. So, like typical corporate speak, it's superficial at its deepest, and easily refutable with the slightest bit of scrutiny such that you're, honestly, a bit ashamed that they said the words in the first place.
 
I guess that since used products aren't in my best interests, I have to stop shopping at Half-Priced books and GS.

All kidding aside, I wonder if Nintendo would even care about used game sales if they had a cut of the profit.
 
I have to laugh when reading this title, only because I saw plenty of used Wii games sell around the Holiday season. I remember some GS locations being cleaned up of used Wii games. In customers weren't interested in used stuff, we wouldn't see any of them sell.
 
He's right. There's nothing more fun that collecting 3,500 colored bananas over and over and over again and never selling the game back. Since the game is out of print I see no reason why anyone else should ever have the pleasure (unless of course the gods at Nintendo decide to release it on the VC or something, of course). Oh Lanky Kong, I love you so much.
 
[quote name='javeryh']He's right. There's nothing more fun that collecting 3,500 colored bananas over and over and over again and never selling the game back. . . .Oh Lanky Kong, I love you so much.[/QUOTE]
This is good stuff.
 
[quote name='Nephlabobo']He said that consumers prefer brand new products, and claimed that sales of second hand goods in other entertainment mediums has not been successful.

He continued: "Describe another form of entertainment that has a vibrant used goods market. Used books have never taken off. You don’t see businesses selling used music CDs or used DVDs. Why? The consumer likes having a brand-new experience and reliving it over and over again. If you create the right type of experience, that also happens in videogames." [/quote]


Ebay, Amazon, Half, goozex, yard sales, and libraries say hi.

[quote name='whoknows']Remember when people were saying Reggie was all badass and acting like he was the coolest person ever?
[/quote]


No.
 
FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

AHMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Say it with me now!
 
[quote name='Nephlabobo']
"We have products that consumers want to hold onto. [/quote]

They do? Awesome! Will they sell these products to me? 'Cause I really, really don't want to hold on to Personal Trainer Cooking. Or Wii Play. Or Wii Sports. Or Wii Music. Or...um every single Wii game but Galaxy and possibly Wario Land.

Geez, I agree with the O.P. What a load of crap.

HERE'S how you limit the used market...wrong way is through nasty DRM. Right way is by making really fun games that many people want to play again in the future, and can't stand to be without-like Super Mario Galaxy.

Also to these genius-I would buy a *LOT* less games if I couldn't sell them. I buy everything new, but I wouldn't buy 1/10th what I do now if I knew I couldn't sell them if I didn't like them.

I mean of the last 10 games I've played (9 of which I just sold in to Gamestop), I only liked TWO . TWO of ten. F.E.A.R. and Resistance. Oh yeah, and 5 of those 10 games were for the DS-and I hated every single one of them.
 
[quote name='Jesus_S_Preston']Well according to Reggie, games aren't really in the consumer interest. If the Wii is any indication, I mean.[/QUOTE]

Hee hee. Yeah...that's about right.

I'm mad both at Nintendo, AND at all the idiot consumers lapping up the gimicky DS and Wii while ignoring the Gamecube, which actually deserved to sell like they do.
 
[quote name='javeryh']He's right. There's nothing more fun that collecting 3,500 colored bananas over and over and over again and never selling the game back. Since the game is out of print I see no reason why anyone else should ever have the pleasure (unless of course the gods at Nintendo decide to release it on the VC or something, of course). Oh Lanky Kong, I love you so much.[/quote]

Man did Rare go overboard with collecting in DK64.
 
Not in my best interests huh?

As I've said repeatedly, the day I can no longer buy, sell and trade games is the day I quit gaming. I NEVER replay games. They have no value as a lasting purchase for me (unlike movies and music).

If I can't use sites like Goozex, I'm definitely done with gaming as I don't enjoy it enough to shell it out on something like digital download games that can never be resold or traded.
 
Wow, more crap from someone at Nintendo? I'm shocked! Shocked I tell ya!:whistle2:o

But in all seriousness, I can see why he would think that considering how well garbage software sells on the Wii/DS... regardless of its quality.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Not in my best interests huh?

As I've said repeatedly, the day I can no longer buy, sell and trade games is the day I quit gaming. I NEVER replay games. They have no value as a lasting purchase for me (unlike movies and music).

If I can't use sites like Goozex, I'm definitely done with gaming as I don't enjoy it enough to shell it out on something like digital download games that can never be resold or traded.[/QUOTE]

That say will never happen. It's simply impossible to not barter or trade, informally, your games.

Unless (until?) we go full digital. But that will be our own fault for allowing it to happen.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']
Unless (until?) we go full digital. But that will be our own fault for allowing it to happen.[/QUOTE]

It's out of "our" hands. It will eventually happen in a few generations when broadband access is more wide spread as younger generations have less and less problems with digital content being raised on buying from iTunes etc.

Down the road us old fogeys will have little say in whether digital distribution becomes the norm as wel'll be out numbered by younger generations who have no problems pissing away money on stuff they don't really own.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']
Down the road us old fogeys will have little say in whether digital distribution becomes the norm as wel'll be out numbered by younger generations who have no problems pissing away money on stuff they don't really own.[/quote]

Luckily if we don't like the new digital age we find ourselves in, it will be a quick trip into the Suicide Booth.
 
what reggie is saying isn't that used games sucks, but rather that if people get games that are really good, then they would not want to sell them because they're good. when reggie says "...used games aren't in the customers interest...", what he means is that people will sell their junk to stores that sell used items because they don't want them, which would mean that the game or whatever the item or product experience is lacking.

if you bought a game and this game is really good, would you want to sell it to gamestop or some used game store or retailer? of course not because the game is good. but if you have a game that is mediocre or lacking in things that you like or things you've never experienced before, then more likely you'll sell it to used game stores or retailers.

i believe marvel vs capcom 2 is a damn good fighting game. if i had a copy of it for ps2, i'd never sell it even if i could get loads of money of it. why, because the game is good [according to me]. looking back at the ps1 days, i wished i bought more of those capcom fighters because they were really good. i can't understand why you would want to sell such a good game for?
 
[quote name='pochaccoheaven']
if you bought a game and this game is really good, would you want to sell it to gamestop or some used game store or retailer? of course not because the game is good.[/QUOTE]

That may be what he meant, but that's still not true for many.

Most games I buy and play I think are really good as I limit myself to AAA games in genres I like.

I still sell/trade almost everyone of them as I never replay games and I'm not a collector. Much better to use Goozex and spend hardly any money on games (since building up points ditching all my last gen stuff I still had around).
 
[quote name='pochaccoheaven']if you bought a game and this game is really good, would you want to sell it to gamestop or some used game store or retailer? of course not because the game is good. [/quote]

I sell games I love all the time. I don't have time to go back and play through something 2 or more times and there's no point in something sitting on a shelf and collecting dust.
 
[quote name='Jesus_S_Preston']Well according to Reggie, games aren't really in the consumer interest. If the Wii is any indication, I mean.[/QUOTE]
So true.

Between this and the "Wii games need to sell a million to break even" quote, I'm wondering what Reggie's been smoking lately.
 
[quote name='whoknows']Remember when people were saying Reggie was all badass and acting like he was the coolest person ever?

Yeah...not really related to the OP, just thought I'd bring it up.[/QUOTE]

Once he became the President of NOA he became a shithead. When he was just in charge of marketing he was a lot cooler.
 
He said that too? Uh...weren't they going on about how the Wii was cheap to develop for? And why would the typically low budget type of game on the Wii need to sell that many?

I mean Mario Galaxy I'm sure was SUPER expensive to develop, but "License X Game Party X" is not.
 
You know what's funny is I used to hate that ancient guy who ran Nintendo "YOU WILL LOVE THIS GAME OR MY SAMURAI WILL STRIKE YOU DOWN!" but at least under him Nintendo concentrated on games.

This Hal guy may be a brilliant businessman, but... And what's weird is it should be the other way around. The Hal guy should be all about games, while the business guy would be the one who doesn't care if what they're selling is any good...but it's the reverse of that. Weird.
 
[quote name='Wolfpup']You know what's funny is I used to hate that ancient guy who ran Nintendo "YOU WILL LOVE THIS GAME OR MY SAMURAI WILL STRIKE YOU DOWN!" but at least under him Nintendo concentrated on games.

This Hal guy may be a brilliant businessman, but... And what's weird is it should be the other way around. The Hal guy should be all about games, while the business guy would be the one who doesn't care if what they're selling is any good...but it's the reverse of that. Weird.[/quote]

If I recall correctly, the DS and Wii concepts were old Yellow Balls* Yamauchi's going away present to Nintendo.

*fake interview
 
[quote name='whoknows']Remember when people were saying Reggie was all badass and acting like he was the coolest person ever?

Yeah...not really related to the OP, just thought I'd bring it up.[/quote]

ive always seen his as a raging douchebag. if i recall he was very vocal during the whole tp going to the wii and possibly not being a gc game thing.
 
No company really sells used DVDs? Tell that to Blockbuster, FYE, SecondSpin and MovieStop.

I think Reggie's starting to take lessons from Sony on how to pull shit out of one's ass about what consumers want.
 
No company really sells used DVDs. You could put all the Blockbusters (whose primary function are rentals), FYEs and whatnot together and you wouldn't scratch to the 5900 stores in 17 countries that Gamestop has. You'd be lucky to have 20% of that.

In the case of books, halfpricebooks is the closest thing to a national B&M chain with 100 stores in 15 states.

Of course used games arent in the consumers' interest. This isnt even controversial. Not supporting the people who make the product is working against your own self interests as long as your self interests involve them continuing to make more games in the future.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

AHMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Say it with me now![/quote]
I get the feeling that I'm missing a joke of some sort, here.
 
maybe second-hand wouldn't be a problem if Nintendo started reprinting games/started Player's Choice programs for Wii and DS. Otherwise, people will continue to buy overpriced used copies of Wariowares, Excitetruck, and Tetris DS.
 
[quote name='Dr Mario Kart']
Of course used games arent in the consumers' interest. This isnt even controversial. Not supporting the people who make the product is working against your own self interests as long as your self interests involve them continuing to make more games in the future.[/QUOTE]

I do get that. I just don't care as the latter isn't true for me as I wouldn't shed any tears if I couldn't game anymore.

I'll buy a select couple of games a year I think are good enough to warrant a day one purchase to keep the franchise going etc. (Gears 2 was the only 1 last year).

But otherwise most games I don't care enough about to feel any need to support the developers vs. getting it off of goozex.
 
"We don’t believe used games are in the best interest of the consumer"

Is this portion relating to the loss developers see by gamestop selling their product used and, therefore in the long term, we are creating less of a new, or "experimental" market?

Theres what i was looking for, thanks Dr. Mariokart:

Of course used games arent in the consumers' interest. This isnt even controversial. Not supporting the people who make the product is working against your own self interests as long as your self interests involve them continuing to make more games in the future.
Click to expand...
 
[quote name='The Crotch']I get the feeling that I'm missing a joke of some sort, here.[/QUOTE]

Nothing really other than the amusement I get from brutally pronouncing his name.

DMK, what you're arguing isn't exclusive to a "new/used" concept. I could make the same argument about shopping at Wal-Mart as being counterproductive to the self-interests of the economic well-being of people on average.
 
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